The Indiana State Fair is one of those GREAT State Fairs! It's at the Indiana State Fairgrounds which is just huge and was built for this very reason! It's in Indianapolis so it's just down the road. There are all the animals, games, food, and of course, people watching! And we try to go every year.
Last year was our first year with Ells... She loved it.
But this year it was so much fun to hear her interact with animals and people and express what she wanted and what she didn't.
We started at the Billy Goats because they happened to be in the first barn and they were actually what we started with last year. They kind of cackle, although we didn't hear any of that this time around. They are funny looking little mugs though. Ells even got to pet a 1 month old Baby Billy and the little girl holding it was so sweet that she gave Ells a ribbon too. 5th place. They must not have wanted that.
Then we headed to the horse barn. WOW. Those are some bad ass big horses! Clydesdale's. I've even seen the Budweiser Clydesdale's in St. Louis, and these were just ginormous! I'm thinking it might have been the fact that these were so close they could have ripped my head off or eaten my hand because I was petting them, but either way they were huge. Did I mention that they were big? hah.
Ella loved the horses. I kept saying "Hey Buddy" to them when I'd walk up with her and so she'd repeat "Hey Buddy" and then when we left she would say "Bye Buddy." It was really too cute. And every once in a while she does a little "Woah" which is long and stretched out and too adorable to explain in writing.... she did this as we walked up to most horses. Love her.
Then we moved along to the other barns including Bunnies, Chickens (scary and gross), and Cows. She loved the cows too. Talk about big...some of them are huge too! Note: I've seen them before but am always amazed at their size.
See that guy in the blue? The one on the right? Man I wish there were better specimens in this photo to share the sheer crazy that comes out for the fair. But anyways, this is Mr K trying to win $40K or a Car. He needs a new car so I told him to get in line. haha...
We didn't win.
Woamp. Woamp.
Then we played a few carnie games -- I mean, Ella played a few carnie games and won 2 toys that were not needed in our household... Both Dora related which cracks me up because we rarely watch Dora. But Diego has come in handy as she grabs him and uses him to point out everything from hair to hand to shoes. It's actually a nice little Diego Learning tool... and it only cost us $5. haha. She gets to play until she wins!
We try to walk around the entire loop of the ground every year. I swear this takes forever... and it does, but it's fun and sometimes it's nice to be outside, drinking a lemon shake-up, eating a funnel cake, right? Well this year I only enjoyed Ribbon Fries & a lemon shake-up. Delicious though! I wish I would have gotten more, but we were trying to stay on budget as well as keeping ourselves from throwing up from the heat.
Around back we actually found some new places we'd never seen before... Like an entire new land of untouched, non-crowded, belly dancing, tractor filled, fun! Yes, Belly Dancing. But it was like Belly Dancing for Idiots. No offense to the lovely women attempting to show their skills... but let's just be honest - it was not appealing. At the end they turned on the music for all to dance so we let Ells out to go try and she wanted nothing to do with it. I think she though these ladies were crazy. They might have been. They were definitely like 35-85 years in age.
But that was basically the tour of the fair. We did find the Glass Barn which I had heard such great things about. I think it would have been better for Ella if she were a bit older, but we snapped this photo which is a nice FREE keepsake for us to remember the 2013 State Fair.
And then Ella took a sip right when the flash went off... OOPS!
Let's try this again!
Much Better.
OK, I'm good with that little family photo. Actually I kind of love it. Well, minus the pigs. But the backdrops were not that good to choose from.
Do you go to your state fair? Have you ever been to the Indiana State Fair?
We even got to see a glimpse at the renovations of the Pepsi Coliseum which is going to look SO DIFFERENT -- This is a place that Mr K & I have grown up at with skating... Ah the memories... for another time!
Until Next Year!
xoxo,
Abby
